( a candidate in Niagara falls has been disqualified for inapproiate social media posts )

Strange KO'd by PC Party

By Grant LaFleche, The Standard

Thursday, November 23, 2017 6:21:21 EST PM

Mike Strange.

As far Mike Strange is concerned, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario can keep its 10 dollars.

Strange — a Niagara Falls city councillor who worked on past PC party campaigns, including the campaign of former MPP Bart Maves, and sat on the executive of the Niagara Falls PC riding association — is giving up his party membership.

On Thursday, Strange received an email from party executive director Bob Stanley informing the former Olympian that he will not be permitted to stand for the PC Party nomination in Niagara Falls.

“I regret to inform you that after examination of you [sic] social media activity and other information the Provincial Nominations Committee after due deliberation of all the materials presented has determined that your application to seek the nomination in the above noted riding has been declined,” said Stanley’s email.

“I’m turning in my membership. They can keep their 10 bucks, too,” Strange said Thursday afternoon. “I certainly don’t think it is fair to not let me run. Let me bring in more members to the party. If I lose, then I lose and I will stand behind the winner.

“I guess I didn’t realize party politics is this dirty,” he said.

Party president Rick Dykstra said Strange was given “every opportunity” to explain some material on his Facebook page at a meeting last week attended by Strange, Stanley and Dykstra.

Ultimately, Dykstra said, the party found some of Strange’s social media posts to be problematic. Dykstra declined to specify what content the party found to be disqualifying.

Strange’s disqualification comes after an anonymous package containing “opposition research” was left in an unmarked envelope on his doorstep in October. A copy of the package was also sent to the PC party.

The package claims Strange is unfit to represent the party, contained a CBC story of an impaired driving charge he was acquitted of in 2001 and several photos pulled from his Facebook account, many of which were taken when Strange owned a bar in Niagara Falls.

Some of the photos show him dressed up in costumes for Halloween at his bar and in one photo someone with Strange is holding what appears to be a joint.

One picture, taken on Strange’s cross-Canada BoxRun tour to raise money for cancer research, was taken with former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, one of many mayors Strange met with during the tour.

“A photo with disgraced mayor Rob Ford doesn’t shine in good fashion as a candidate,” the anonymous author of the package wrote under the photo.

Strange posted the contents of the package on a website in October saying he had nothing to hide and wanted to get in front of the issue. The website, which used the PC Party logo, was taken down after Dykstra told Strange it wasn’t helping.

“It’s a direct attack on the party,” Dykstra wrote to Strange in an October text message about the website. “Take it down. Don’t say the party kicked you out and use the logo. If you guys thought this would help it’s done the opposite.”

The author of the package has never identified themself publicly.

In the October text message exchange, however, Dykstra appears to suggest both he and Strange know who was behind it.

“We both know who is attacking u and ur character and it’s not the PC Party of Ontario,” Dykstra wrote.

Strange says he does not know for sure who sent the package. In an interview Thursday, Dykstra said he has “no direct knowledge” about the identity of the package’s author. He said his text message was intended to convey to Strange that the party was not behind it.

Dykstra said anonymous attacks on candidates or potential candidates are becoming commonplace in party politics, and that putting the package together and dropping it off at Strange’s home was “pretty low.”

“These days people can hide behind anonymous Twitter accounts or anonymous packages,” he said. “If you really believed that someone was not fit to be a candidate or hold office, then put your name behind it instead of hiding.”

Nevertheless, Dykstra said once the party leadership had the package, it was obligated to review its contents and make a decision.

Strange, believing the package to be a smear campaign to prevent him from competing for the riding nomination, said he wanted to run for the PCs because he believes they are a credible alternative to the governing Liberals and the NDP.

He finally decided to run for the nomination after being encouraged to do so by local Tories.

Strange said disqualifying him on the basis of his social media posts, which he does not regard as being offensive, is unfair. The party members should decide the matter for themselves, he said.

“When I met with them last week, they were hinting I should step down (from the nomination),” he said. “I told them I wasn’t quitting. I have nothing against the Niagara Falls riding, this is an issue with the party.”

Strange says he doesn’t know what he will do now. With no means of appeal, he is trying to determine if he will run provincially at all.

“I love city hall, and I think we are doing a good job as a council, and maybe that is where I should stay,” he said. “I could jump to another party or run as an independent. I don’t know.”

The Niagara Falls PC riding nomination meeting is scheduled for Dec 12. So far, Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Chuck McShane, former president of the Niagara Home Builders Association, is the only approved candidate, Dykstra said.

However, people interested in running have until midnight Thursday to submit their applications. Dykstra said any submissions will be vetted before they can stand for the nomination.

The Niagara Falls riding is not the only one causing issues for the Tories.

Several ridings have been hotly contested. In Hamilton, police have launched a fraud investigation into some Tory officials connected to the disputed Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas riding nomination in May.

Dykstra said the intensity of the current nomination process is unique by his experience.

“I have learned one thing; there is nothing like a family contest to turn something into a dispute,” he said.

After 24 years as a Toronto councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong said it is time for a change, both for him and at Queen’s Park where the Liberals have governed since 2003.

By Betsy PowellCourt Reporter

Thu., Dec. 7, 2017

Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong is the latest city councillor poised to try and make a move to Queen’s Park in next year’s provincial election.

“I’ll be putting my name forward as a candidate in Don Valley East,” the councillor said Thursday during a break from a council meeting.

The boundaries of the provincial Don Valley East riding encompass all of Minnan-Wong’s council Ward 34.

After 24 years as a city councillor, Minnan-Wong said it was time for a change, both for him, at this stage in his career, and at Queen’s Park, where the Liberals have governed since 2003.

“I’m excited for what Patrick Brown and the Ontario PCs are offering. Patrick’s young, energetic, he’s hard working.” Minnan-Wong also endorsed Brown early on in the Tory leadership race.

“When he talked to me then, he told me he wanted to make the party more diverse, and modern and moderate and as a elected official in Toronto, that really did appeal to me. That’s why I supported him and he’s done very well in accomplishing those goals.”

The council veteran said he is impressed with Brown’s platform, The People’s Platform, which his offering tax cuts, money for daycare and dental-care policy for seniors. He also likes the Tories’ promise to take over the capital and maintenance costs of the TTC.

“It’s a compelling platform that I think has a lot of appeal in Toronto,” Minnan-Wong said. “As a father of three young children, all under the age of 6, I understand how hard it is to live in the city of Toronto.”

The 53-year-old politician, one of council’s most notorious penny pinchers, said it’s a difficult decision to leave city hall.

“I think I’ve made a significant contribution, but it’s time for a change. (Premier) Kathleen Wynne is past her best-before date. The rot has set in.”

Minnan-Wong said he has not decided whether he will leave council during the provincial election campaign. Under Ontario law, municipal councillors do not have to resign their seats if they run provincially.

“I have to win the nomination first,” he said. The party has to set a nomination date. “I have informed the riding president that I intend to seek that nomination and I hope the meeting date will be set fairly soon.”

Conservative insider and commentator Amanda Galbraith said Minnan-Wong’s move is a big political pickup for Brown.

“Denzil is the kind of star candidate you want to see step up and run if you’re looking to form government,” she said Thursday.

She called him an interesting blend of conservatism.

“As public works chair he brought in the first separated bike lanes in the city of Toronto and at the same time he's one of the most vocal advocates for keeping taxes low and limiting the size of government.

Minnan-Wong follows a growing number of councillors looking to make a leap onto the provincial scene.

Councillor Chin Lee (Scarborough Rouge-River, Ward 41) who has been nominated for the Liberals in the redrawn riding of Scarborough North, and Councillor Shelley Carroll (Ward 33, Don Valley East). She is running for the Grits in the new riding of Don Valley North in the June 7, 2018 election.

Last year, former Scarborough councillor Raymond Cho became the Scarborough Rouge-River Tory MPP after winning a byelection.

Strange was notified by the party last month that he would not be permitted to stand for the PC party nomination in the riding, which also includes Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake, due to some material on Strange’s Facebook page they deemed to be problematic.

Dalton said the riding association is “pretty pleased” McShane wanted to run.

“He’s been a long-time supporter and worker in the party,” she said.

“He’s been a party member since 2001, and … he was president of our local riding association back in 2014. He’s knocked on doors, he’s put up signs, he’s been one of your good basic campaign workers for years for us.”

Dalton said most people in the party are happy because they know McShane, and know him to be a “good Tory.”

“We also think he’s good because he’s got a lot of contacts,” she said.

“He’s worked with the Ontario Home Builders Association — he was member of the year once for them. He’s Niagara Home Builders Association past president three times, so he’s done a lot of work in that area.”

McShane spent time as a volunteer with the Niagara-on-the-Lake fire department, and has done a lot of charity work, said Dalton, such as helping to raise money for the Steve Ludzik Foundation, which raises funds for the Parkinson’s rehab clinic at Hotel Dieu Shaver, as well as the Hockey Night in St. Catharines fundraiser that raised money for the United Way.

She said McShane will attend a training session and caucus meeting.

“He’s jumping in right away from that point of view in terms of understanding the new policy platform that’s come out …coming to know that very well and particularly how it applies here in Niagara, and just pulling his campaign team together now,” said Dalton.

“It’s kind of all happening fairly quickly as these things do.”

McShane said he still can’t believe he’s about to become the party’s candidate.

“It’s just a different feeling — something I never expected in my life. I grew up in foster homes all my life, and I never finished Grade 9. I’m just so fortunate with the life that I’ve had, through hard work and my … wife, all we’ve done together to actually be in this position.”

Former Kingsville councillor and firefighter Chris Lewis is seeking the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party nomination for Essex.

Chris Lewis, a former Kingsville councillor and firefighter, hopes to become the Ontario PC Party candidate for the riding of Essex in the upcoming provincial election. Dan Janisse / Windsor Star
​
“I’m doing this to serve the community,” Lewis said. “I have a history of wanting so badly to make things better. My fire department history and my four years on council were great but there’s still a fire in my belly that says, ‘How can we make Essex better in every corner?’”

Lewis, 41, told his supporters at Vernon’s Tap and Grill in Kingsville on Saturday that if he received the nomination he would focus on getting Highway 3 widened, fast-forwarding the mega-hospital and tackling the issue of social housing.

“Social housing is going to be a huge issue,” he said. “How do we get faster for all of our residents? For our seniors? For those mothers that are just having a tough time? Those are all very important things.”

For Lewis in his political career one of the proudest moments was pushing for Hockeyville in 2008. Kraft Canada, along with CBC and the NHL, held a Canada-wide contest for communities that believe they embody the spirit of hockey and hometown pride.

“Hockeyville turned Kingsville into an absolute party,” he said. “I’ve never been involved in something so large and for Kingsville to be number two in all of Canada was fantastic. That was just one of the many things I was involved in but probably my favourite.”

Lewis still needs to go through the vetting process by the PC party. If he’s successful he will then be able to run in the June 7 election.

The vetting process delves into a candidate’s employment, family and political background. It also asks whether the would-be candidate has ever been convicted of – or even charged with – a crime, whether they have ever declared bankruptcy and whether they have had any other legal issues.

The Hamilton Centre provincial Tory riding association acclaimed Dionne Duncan as its candidate Jan. 14 at the Hamilton Public Library. She will challenge Hamilton Centre MPP and NDP leader Andrea Horwath in the June 7 Ontario election. - By Kevin Werner, HCN

The Hamilton Centre Progressive Conservative provincial riding association acclaimed Dionne Duncan on Jan. 14 as its choice to carry the party’s banner into the June election against NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

“This is an honour. This is a happy day,” said Duncan, 44, who is from Mississauga, but will be relocating to Hamilton soon.

“I love Hamilton,” said Duncan, who has family that lives in the city. “I see a lot of hope in Hamilton. I see a lot of spirit in Hamilton.”

Duncan, who graduated with a PhD in Health Policy Management from the University of Toronto, is attempting to unseat Horwath, who has represented most of the area since 2004 (there was riding redistribution in 2007). In the 2014 election, she easily won re-election collecting 18,699 votes, compared with the Liberal candidate Donna Tiqui-Shebib’s 8,450 votes and the Tory candidate, John Vail who had 5,136 votes. The Liberals have not yet announced a candidate to face Horwath.

Duncan, who isn’t deterred by past political results, said, Hamiltonians have problems within the community that have been forgotten or ignored, including a health care crisis with patients sitting in hallways for days waiting for a room or a physician.

“Why? Because nobody is handling the issue properly,” she said.

She supports the increase to the minimum wage, but only if it is increased to $15 per hour on a gradual basis. The Liberals are proposing to add another dollar to the $14 per hour minimum wage on Jan. 1, 2019. The Tories have stated they would ease the increase over a number of years.

Duncan said the increase to $14 from $11.60 on Jan. 1, 2018 was too fast, too soon. She said the result is part-time employees in the restaurant business, such as at Tim Hortons, are feeling the brunt of employers having to recoup their higher labour costs in other ways.

“I don’t think it was thought out,” she said. “(The increase) needs to make sense.”

Locally, Duncan supports Tory leader Patrick Brown’s decision to provide the $1 billion in capital funding to Hamilton for its light rail transit system, but only if the city wants it.

But for Hamilton Centre residents and businesses, who will feel the brunt of the project’s construction when it is scheduled to begin in 2019, Duncan said they need to be heard.

“There are issues,” she said. “You can’t just come with a band aid solution. They need a voice.”

Duncan, who is of Guyanese descent, and is the general manager of the Markham African Caribbean Canadian Association, said she has been a Tory since the days of supporting former Tory MPP Isabel Bassett, who served from 1995 to 1999, and former Ontario premier Bill Davis.

She praised Brown for venturing into Ontario’s diverse communities since becoming the party’s leader and seeking their support.

“Nobody went to them over the years,” she said. “Nobody asked for their opinion.”

As a woman of colour, she wanted to “show the party has multiple backgrounds (and) different types of people."

“I’m glad the PC party recognizes a face like mine," said Duncan. "It’s different from the past. I too am the face of the party.”

( news of a nomination meeting in northern Ontario although doesn't say who potential candidates are )

New riding’s founding and candidate nomination meeting to be held in Kap

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 11:34:03 EST AM

KAPUSKASING – The founding and candidate nomination meeting of the Mushkegowuk-James Bay Ontario PC Constituency Association will take place in Kapuskasing on Saturday, January 27, 2018.

“We have worked diligently for a number of months to ensure that both associations have a solid foundation in the lead up to the election,” said Robert Manseau (Timmins-James Bay President). “Several individuals have already put their names forward to become founding members. Their energy and enthusiasm is a recognition of the need for change in both ridings.”

Following the founding meeting, the newly formed Mushkegowuk-James Bay Ontario PC Constituency Association will nominate a candidate for the 2018 General Election.

Members in good standing are eligible to vote.

The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Kapuskasing Golf Club.

( the pc's have a legitimate star candidate in the 416 , although I kind of wish he was running in Don Valley West against wynne herself , I think she's more vulnerable than people realise , he still faces a tough liberal candidate in Michael Coteau )

Patrick Brown‏Verified account @brownbarrie · 40m40 minutes ago

Proud to welcome long time City Councillor and Toronto’s Deputy Mayor @DenzilMW as our star Ontario PC candidate in the riding of Don Valley East. Love the energy and optimism for change in the City of Toronto! #onpoli

Denzil Minnan-Wong has been acclaimed as the PC candidate in Don Valley East to contest the riding against MPP Michael Coteau. Minnan-Wong is the long-standing member of City Council for Ward 34. The NDP has an unnominated prospective candidate in Khalid Ahmed. Don Valley East sits between Leslie St and Victoria Park Ave. It has been represented by Mr. Coteau since 2011. Minnan-Wong, a deputy mayor, received the nomination at a meeting held in the riding on Saturday morning. The Ontario general election is June 7, 2018.

Toronto’s deputy mayor has been officially acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative party candidate in the riding of Don Valley East.

Denzil Minnan-Wong received the nomination at a meeting held in the riding on Saturday morning.

His uncontested nomination comes about six weeks after he first announced his intention to run.

“I congratulate Denzil on his nomination as the Ontario PC candidate for Don Valley East. Denzil makes an excellent addition to our already experienced and diverse Ontario PC team,” Tory leader Patrick Brown said in a statement released following the nomination meeting. “A champion for lower taxes, responsible spending, and accountable government, Denzil fought tirelessly for Canada’s first municipal Auditor General in the City of Toronto. Denzil also advocated for the development of a downtown bike lane network and helped to rescue Toronto’s bike share program.”

Minnan-Wong has served on Toronto city council since 1998. He is currently one of Mayor John Tory’s four deputy mayors, each of which represents a specific area of the city.

Don Valley East was a riding I fully expected the Liberals to retain;
Being able to secure a candidate like Denzil Minnan-Wong is a huge coup for Brown.

A riding that shouldn't have been in play is now in play.
Its a lot like Kenora—Rainy River which had been an incredibly safe NDP riding being in play largely because the PCs were able to get Greg Rickford to run.

Don Valley East was a riding I fully expected the Liberals to retain;
Being able to secure a candidate like Denzil Minnan-Wong is a huge coup for Brown.

A riding that shouldn't have been in play is now in play.
Its a lot like Kenora—Rainy River which had been an incredibly safe NDP riding being in play largely because the PCs were able to get Greg Rickford to run.

its not unheard of for a current or former Toronto city councillor to run for the pc's but this addition does seem to indicate things are going better in Toronto than other years

overall the pc's seem to have a lot of high profile candidates in the Toronto region , other than Peel region , where some are rather low profile when considering the high polling for the pc's in the 905

Rudy Cuzzetto seems to be a great guy and running in a very historically pc riding ( Mississauga south ) but he has no profile politically at all and trying to run against the finance minister Sousa

( the tories are now reviewing some questionable nominations even though an election is weeks away and candidates already nominated in these ridings )

Ontario Tories to review questionable candidate nominations

The Progressive Conservatives are reviewing some questionable candidate nominations, the Star has learned. A senior party official said they have “uncovered new information on some nominations.”

Since ex-leader Patrick Brown's resignation two weeks ago, the provincial Tories have been cleaning house ahead of a new leader being elected March 10.

By Robert BenzieQueen's Park Bureau Chief

Thu., Feb. 8, 2018

The Progressive Conservatives are reviewing several questionable candidate nomination elections with an eye toward overturning contentious results, the Star has learned.

A senior party official said late Thursday they have “uncovered new information on some nominations.”

“This information will be handed over to the provincial nomination committee for them to make a decision on whether to reopen the nomination,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations.

Read more: PC party has stopped paying the rent for former leader Patrick Brown’s downtown condo

The committee will meet Friday.

As previously reported in the Star, about a dozen PC candidate nominations across Ontario have been ended in controversy, including in Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, which is now the subject of a Hamilton Police investigation into allegations of criminal fraud and forgery.

In Ottawa West-Nepean, candidate Karma Macgregor won by 15 votes over runner-up Jeremy Roberts last May. There were 28 more ballots in boxes than had registered to vote.

The PC riding association executive later resigned en masse in protest as did party vice president Robert Elliott.

In Newmarket-Aurora, more than a dozen riding officials also quit after voting irregularities there last April in a nomination won by Charity McGrath Di Paolo.

The 14 local volunteers blamed “the blatant disregard for the democratic rights of the people of this riding to choose their local candidate in a fair, open and transparent process” in their letter of resignation.

The warned the same thing “is being allowed to openly occur across numerous other ridings.”

In Scarborough Centre last June, Toronto Police were called to restore order after activists erupted in anger amid allegations of ballot boxes being removed from the premises.

In Durham, regional councillor Joe Neal last summer threatened to challenge the party in court after his candidacy was disallowed because had run for the Liberals in 1985.

Patrick Brown, who resigned as leader on Jan. 25 after a sexual impropriety scandal involving teenage girls, later apologized to Neal for claiming he had fundraised for the Liberals in 2016.

Lindsey Park, a personal friend of Brown, won the Durham nomination from which Neal was disqualified.

Since the ex-leader’s departure two weeks ago, the Tories have been cleaning house with an eye toward a fresh start for a new leader being elected March 10.

With an Ontario election set for June 7, they are in a frenzied dash to fix internal problems before facing voters

Ontario PC party interim leader Vic Fedeli has committed to "root out any rot" in the party leading up to the June election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Some local Progressive Conservative supporters are calling on the party to investigate fake memberships in Ottawa West-Nepean after the party's interim leader announced that a third of PC members across the province had been disqualified.

Witnesses to the contentious nomination meeting in Ottawa West-Nepean last May told CBC that many new members signed up to join the party the same day they voted for a candidate.

A number of the new voting members had the same Ottawa address, only showed proof of ID on mobile phones and had Toronto area phone numbers, according to several longtime Progressive Conservative supporters.

'I've never seen anything like that'

"I've been involved in politics for a long time and I've seen a lot of funny things, but I've never seen anything like that," said Marjory LeBreton, a retired Conservative Senator who said she called months ago for the nomination meeting to be declared void.

"A lot of the people who voted without even proper ID had 905 and Toronto area codes. That was their phone number. They were just brought in. I saw it with my own eyes."

CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION 20160527
Retired Conservative senator Marjory LeBreton is concerned about the membership irregularities she witnessed at the nomination in Ottawa West-Nepean in May 2017. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

200 letters from the party returned to sender

Evidence of a problem also appeared when hundreds of letters from the party were returned to sender last spring, shortly after the nomination contest.

The Ottawa West-Nepean riding association sent letters to 1,466 party members on May 16, 2017, and 200 came back because of problems with the addresses.

"The most blatant and questionable entries involve one address: 25 Woodridge," said a letter to the PC party's lawyer from former riding association president Emma McLennan.

"There are 73 individuals listed as members in this building. This is an unbelievable high number ... 58 people have phone numbers with Toronto/GTA area codes."

McLennan feared the returned letters were "evidence of serious, suspicious irregularities" with the Ottawa West-Nepean membership list.

Friday meeting

Party sources tell CBC News there is a meeting Friday evening where officials will discuss evidence of ballot stuffing and invalid memberships.

The nominations in dispute include Ottawa West-Nepean and Scarborough Centre, where a chaotic 2017 nomination meeting led to official complaints to the party.

As many as six candidates are under review.

Vic Fedeli, the Progressive Conservatives' interim leader, said last week that a third of the party's members across the province have been disqualified as illegitimate.

The Tories have just over 133,000 members, Fedeli said, which is about 67,000 fewer than the number claimed by former leader Patrick Brown less than a month ago.

Fedeli has committed to "root out any rot" in the party leading up to the June 7th provincial election.

Full membership audit needed, says critic

Fedeli's effort should entail a complete audit of the membership list before members choose a party leader, according to Jim Karahalios, corporate lawyer and PC supporter in Cambridge, Ont.

"PC party members have to have confidence in this membership list and have confidence in the process that's used to vote," said Karahalios, who was so angered by various nomination processes in Ontario last summer that he started a protest group called Take Back our PC Party.

The party is pulling together to deal with these issues, according to leadership contender Christine Elliot.

"To me a fair process is very important. You only sign up people who want to be members," Elliot said. "I'm assuming that's how the process went for everybody, but there's questions now, obviously," said Elliot.
■Big challenges ahead for Ontario PC leadership hopefuls in race to replace Patrick Brown

But not all party supporters believe there are problems with membership lists.

Conservative MP Alex Nuttall called the move to vet the provincial party's membership lists an unnecessary tactic by "Toronto elites".

"They've doubled down, seeking to expel tens of thousands of paid memberships of the PC party of Ontario," said Nuttall.

"The elites in Toronto need to stop making decisions in their own best interest to seek power and start making decisions in the best interest of the people of Ontario."

Marjory LeBreton doesn't buy that.

She said while some worry a party clean-up will give the rival Liberals ammunition, she believes it will prove the party is open and honest.

Why would any party going into an election want to get rid of party members?

Any thoughts?

Maybe because this party is undergoing a purge. It is being cleansed of impure thoughts and those who (might) hold them. But this is not that. This is a kerfuffle.

Riding contests are often a race to see who can sell the most memberships. Do all those people buy their own memberships? Hardly ever, if it's a competitive contest.

Understand -- it is not telling the truth about Brown inflating numbers. The story is that some of these 'regular irregularities' blight the nomination process.

The story is unsourced. "Some local Progressive Conservative supporters" ... is not a source. No names, no credibiity. It's a balloon, fake news.

The Toronto Star is trying make it appear that the PCs are incapable of governing.

I also question the reasoning for possibly redoing nominations in some ridings , an election is coming In the next few weeks , could possibly start in april or early may depending on when wynne calls it .

does the party really have the time to start redoing nominations in some ridings ? and these candidates have already spent months knocking on doors and attending events in these ridings . most of the ridings in question are also held by high profile liberal cabinet ministers ( Newmarket Aurora , Ottawa west nepean and Hamilton west dundas ) , the pc's already faced tough battles in these ridings

to suddenly nominate someone else or force original candidate to redo the entire process seems like a waste of party resources .

although there does seem to be some evidence that some of the nominations could of had issues , if people with Toronto addresses were voting in Ottawa west nepean , that would seem like a red flag to me

another riding mentioned seemed odd as well , Durham , Lindsey park has been nominated for some time , although one other candidate had been DQ's , there hadn't really been an issues with that one and everyone seemed to like her as a candidate . but removing her would provide Christine Elliott with a possible route into the legislature as she's also from durham

and what happens to the $ money already paid out by the party to settle candidate lawsuits in these ridings ? in Hamilton West a lot was paid to settle with the one candidate who had complained . if there not going to give the money back , it seem like a big financial loss to give them all this money ( which should of been spent on the election campaign not lawsuits ) and then turn around and redo all these nominations anyways

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